


the heart of a robin (and the loyalty of a father)

by Marzue



Series: Dick and Dami Week 2021 [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: (and he gets one), Angst, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Communicating, Bruce Wayne is a Bad Parent, Comfort, Damian Wayne Needs a Hug, Damian is Not Okay, Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne Bonding, Dick Grayson is Damian Wayne's Parent, Dick Grayson is a Better Parent Than Bruce Wayne, Does it count as hurt/comfort if the hurt happened off screen?, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:47:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29942634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marzue/pseuds/Marzue
Summary: Dick just wanted to wish Damian a happy birthday.Instead, he finds out some very interesting information, and confronts Bruce. Damian deserves someone to defend him on his birthday.Day 2: "He's my son!" / Comfort
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne
Series: Dick and Dami Week 2021 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2202087
Comments: 6
Kudos: 141
Collections: Dick Grayson is Damian Wayne's Parent, DickAndDamiWeek2021





	the heart of a robin (and the loyalty of a father)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Dick and Dami Week 2021. Special thanks to Gem for the prompt, and cheering me on while I wrote this!
> 
> Fair warning this is entirely unedited. I was already late enough for day 2, so if you see any big mistakes don't hesitate to let me know!

“Happy birthday Damian!” Dick jaunted into the room, present held in his hands as he entered. 

That Damian was alone in his room, especially on his birthday was cause for concern, but Dick had reasoned it wasn’t too uncharacteristic. Damian crying was _not_ what he expected to see when he went in, however. The pep in Dick’s step froze as he slowed down, grin dropping off his face as he catalogued the situation. 

Damian rarely cried. 

He didn’t seem injured, and Dick knew for a fact that Damian was in good spirits three days prior (a trip to the arcade was enough to verify that). Dick had no recollection of anyone updating him on a major fight in the house (and with the amount of gossipers in this family, there was NO way he wouldn’t have found out.) 

Damian remained on his bed, and Dick had the _sinking_ suspicion something happened while he was gone. 

(He knew he had only been ‘back’ from his death for a few months, but not a day went by where he didn’t rejoice over Damian’s return, and he was fairly confident something bad didn’t happen to Damian during that time. Further analysis was required.)

“Something the matter Damian?” He stepped a little closer, placing the gift on Damian’s desk. Scattered atop the flat surface were half finished drawings of nature scenes, several prominently featuring small songbirds (robins, Dick noted). 

“No.” The confidence in Damian’s voice lost any credibility with his puffy red eyes and stuffy nose, and it was clear he knew it too. Grumpily, he curled around his pillow, back facing Dick.

“C’mon Dami, let me help you.” Dick didn’t reach out to touch him (he knew that Damian only liked contact on _his_ terms, and at a time like this it would be a mistake) but he gingerly sat on the edge of Damian’s bed, careful to avoid jostling Damian. “What’s up bud?”

Damian sniffled once again, before mumbling quietly into the pillow. Dick missed the first half of what he said, only hearing the trailing “- forgot it was my birthday.” 

Forgot? _Damian forgot his birthday?_

“I missed the first part of your sentence. You forgot your birthday?”

“No.” Dick’s heart twisted, and he knew he wasn’t going to like where this sentence was going. “Father forgot my birthday.”

“ _Bruce_ forgot your birthday?” Damian nodded into his pillow, curling up even tighter. 

“Yes, he forgot. Again.”

_AGAIN?_

Dick reached over and gave a gentle stroke to Damian’s arm, careful to telegraph his movement and give Damian time to back out. Damian merely allowed his arm to drift closer to Dick, and closed his eyes. 

“Dami? I’ll be right back, okay honey?” Dick waited for Damian to acknowledge him before padding away silently. He turned left, and made his way towards Bruce’s office.

* * *

Upon arriving at the door (slightly ajar, Bruce was accepting visitors. Though a closed door could do little to stop Dick), Dick marched straight in, not bothering to knock. Bruce was hunched over, reading glasses balanced on his nose as he read over several documents. 

As Dick entered, Bruce merely glanced up at him, exasperation as fond as it was joking.

Dick, however, was not in the mood for jokes, and Bruce quickly sat up a bit straighter.

“Dick. Is something wrong?” His tone was measured, cautious, and his face would have revealed nothing to anyone else who would have looked at it. 

Dick wasn’t anyone else though, and he could see the worry in Bruce clear as day. _Good,_ Dick thought, almost pettily. _Let him squirm a little_.

“Oh, nothing important.” Bruce’s tone might have been level, but Dick’s tone was second dimension flat.

“I just heard from a one Damian Wayne that you forgot his birthday. _Again_.” Bruce’s eyes widened in recognition, and that tiny movement confirmed everything Dick needed to know.

“Geez Bruce, I know you’re busy trying to launch a one man crusade against Gotham, but this is a new low!” 

Bruce’s lips thinned, a frown settling across his face faster than even the Flash would be able to track.

“I hardly see how this is your business Dick. I plan on making this up to Damian in the near future. That is all.”

“No, this is EXACTLY my business Bruce. I came by to give _your_ child a gift and wish him a happy birthday, and instead of finding him celebrating, having a fun day with his family, he’s crying alone in his room. And _you’re_ the reason why.” 

Bruce’s Batman growl was laced in his words. “What I do with my _son_ is NONE of your business, Dick, and I would appreciate it if you _respect my decisions_.”

“No, he’s MY son!” Bruce paused. Dick took that pause as an invitation to continue.

“Damian is my son, Bruce. More so than he ever was yours, and I _refuse_ to let you mistreat him like this. You’ve had so many chances Bruce, and yet things like this still happen. I don’t get it Bruce. Between us, I’m the only one who remembers his fucking _birthday_.” Dick’s voice was broken glass, as cutting as it was jagged, and the fury in his eyes was only undercut by the tension wracking his body. 

“I’m gonna go talk to Damian now. Figure out your shit Bruce.”   
At that, Dick left.

* * *

When Dick returned to Damian’s room, he found Damian, face scrubbed and sheets rearranged to hide evidence of his past sorrow. Spine straight, he sat at his desk, the unopened gift box neatly set to the side. He was shuffling the paper on his desk, and Dick noted the pictures of the robin were all gone, ferreted away to who knows where.

All the scrubbing in the world did little to hide his puffy eyes.

“Damian… I’m sorry that happened to you. I-" 

“I don’t know why it bothered me so.” Damian sniffled, trying (and failing) to stop a second round of tears.

“I wanted to make you a drawing, so I started sketching the birds outside my window. I began drawing the robins that would sometimes reside in the trees, but the robins… reminded me of my last birthday, when Grandfather left me a dead robin as a ‘gift’. When father...” He trailed off.

Dick’s heart broke further. 

“Oh, sweetheart. I— may I give you a hug?” Damian nodded silently, and Dick swept him up. Broad arms wrapped around Damian’s as-of-yet tiny shoulders, wrapping him in a warm embrace. Dick’s hand began carding through his hair as he clutched Damian. Dick could feel the tears and he wished he could do more, offer more to Damian than just mere promises.

“I’m so sorry Damian, so very sorry.” He continued to whisper to Damian, until the tension in Damian’s body melted away. When Damian pulled away from the hug, he smiled tentatively, and Dick prayed that would be enough for Damian.

“So… What do you want to do Damian? Today is still your special day, after all.” 

Damian hesitated for a moment, then gently asked, “Could we watch a movie together?”

”Of course, kiddo.” Dick leaned forward and ruffled his hair, before turning to the door. “We can do anything you want.” 

Together, they walked out, and Dick couldn’t help the love he felt when he looked down at his son.

**Author's Note:**

> *Shows up two days late, Starbucks in hand*  
> So, I was BULLIED (re: gently and lovingly encouraged) to do D&d week, and I couldn't even start on time. smhmh @me. Many thanks to everyone who encouraged me to do this week, and for everyone reading this, I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> And, as always, Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated! Dick and Damian have stolen my WHOLE heart, and I love them so much. I hope you all have a lovely day!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * A [Restricted Work] by [Gemini_Baby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemini_Baby/pseuds/Gemini_Baby) Log in to view. 




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